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THE  COURT  %\ 


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7.  JOK 


! 


—■mini'  iiiil' 


-A^EST    ESSA.Y. 


-♦«-• 


NEGOTIATIONS  FOR  PEACE 

AT 

THE  COURT  OF  HEAVEN, 


THE  ONLY  WAT  TO 

CLOSE  THE  WAR  HONORABLY  TO  THE  SOUTH 

THE  INFALLIBLE 

SUCCESS  OF  THIS  NEGOTIATION,  ETC. 


BY  REV.  JOHN  P    CAMPBELL, 

AUTHOR  OF  A  LATE  WORK  ENTITLED  '(>LEA  FOR  CHRISTIAN 
UNION,"  NOW  A  REFUGEE  FROM  ikSHVILLE,  TENN 


JACKSON,  MIB 

SOUTHWESTERN  CONFEDERATE  (ilNTINQ  HOUSE. 

1803. 


CONTENTS. 


Preface,  ...... 

The  War — Cause,  etc.,         - 

How  the  Belligerents  stand  hefore  God,     • 

Reflections  on  Slavery,         - 

When  shall  Peace  come,  .... 

How  shall  we  place  ourselves  in  an  attitude  to 
obtain  peace,         -     "    - 

Motives  to  Peace  urged,  - 

Appeal  to  Ministers  and  Chnrches,       -         •    * 

A  Prayer  for  our  Country,  etc.,        - 


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PREFACE. 


Brother  Soldiers  and  Citizens  of  the  Confederate  States  : 

We  have  fought  long  and  well  for  peace,  but  it  seems  as  far  off  to- 
day, as  when  we  struck  the  first  blow.  We  have  had  a  long,  expensive 
and  fruitless  negotiation  at  the  Courts  of  London  and  Paris.  Now,  let 
us  negotiate  at  the  Codrt  of  Heaven. 

President  Davis  will  go;  all  his  praying  generals,  commanders  and 
soldiers  will  go  ;  all  our  faithful  chaplains  and  ministers  of  the  goppel 
will  go  ;  all  our  mothers,  sisters,  wives  and  daughters  will  go  ;  thou- 
sands of  mourning  widows,  whose  husbands  have  fallen  on  the  field  of 
battle,  with  their  hungry  children,  will  go ;  the  wounded  soldiers  will 
go,  not  to  show  their  wounds  as  a  plea,  but  to  show  the  wounds  of 
their  Lord  and  Savior. 

The  Court  of  St.  James  is  a  cold  and  heartless  court.  Not  so  the 
Court  of  Heaven.  Th«re  is  not  only  sympathy,  but  there  is  justice  in 
that  Court.  The  humblest  Christian,  the  least  of  all  Saints,  has 
access  and  power  at  that  Court. 

Let  us  all  go  in  the  name  of  our  great  Advocate  and  Redeemer,  who 
sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Court  of  Heaven,  and  let  us  lay  our  cause, 
our  country,  our  guilty  souls,  down  at  the  foot  of  the  Throne.  There 
let  us  lie,  there  let  us  plead  saying,  "Lord,  I  will  not  let  thee  go  except 
thou  bless  me."  And  Jacob's  God,  who,  in  answer  to  his  prayer, 
moved  his  angry  brother's  heart  to  terms  of  p^ace,  will  do  the  same 
with  our  angry  brethren. 

To  the  soldiers  and  citizens  of  the  Confederate  States,  no  suggestions 
could  be  more  pleasing  or  more  welcome,  than  such  as  might  lead  to  a 
speedy,  permanent  and  honorable  peace. 

It  is  taken  as  granted  that  a  people  who  have  poured  out  their  blood 
like  water,  and  their  money  and  treasure  without  stint,  would  be  will- 
ing to  do  anything  in  their  power  to  obtain  so  rich  a  boon  as  peace. 

The  following  pages  will  show  you  how  peace  will  come,  and  also 
show  that  'he  agencies  by  which  it  will  come,  are  honorable  in  the 
highest  degree,  that  they  are  certain  and  infallible,  and  that  these 
agencies  are  so  completely  in  your  power  and  under  your  control  that  you 
will  be  responsible  for  the  continuance  of  the  war. 

Can  it  be  possible  that  the  warm  and  generous  people  of  the  South 
will  assume  such  a  fearful  responsibility  ? 

The  writer  has  had  access  to  the  hearts  and  sympathies,  both  of 
soldiers  and  citizens,  from  ihe  beginning  of  the  war,  an  I  has  watched 
with  prayerful  interest  for  the  development  of  such  a  state  of  feeling 
and  preparation  as  might  lead  him  to  hope  that  the  purposes  of  the 


war  were  about  to  be  accomplished.     He  has  been  much  discouraged 
until  recently.  m 

Cut  off  from  the  hope  of  foreign  intervention  by  European  govern- 
ments, the  beams  of  light  and  hope  from  the  .Northwest,  which  were  so 
cheering  a  few  months  ago,  are  now  obscured  in  darkness,  are  we  not 
more  than  ever  prepared  to  look  to  the  God  of  our  Fathers  as  our  sure 
and  only  hope  for  help  and  deliverance? 

The  war  cannot  come  to  a  close  honorably  to  us  until  we  acknowledge 
God  in  a  proper  manner,  and  honor  Him  with  an  acceptable  service. 
This  He  calls  us  to  do,  by  the  fearful  calamities  now  upon  us.  To  this 
He  calls  us  by  His  holy  word.  If  we  hear  and  obey  His  warning  and 
His  pleading  voice,  "  We  shall  eat  the  good  of  the  land,  but  if  we  refuse 
and  rebel  we  shall  be  devoured  with  the  sword,  ior  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord  hath  spoken  it." — Isaiah  1:20. 

What  shall  we  do  ?  Shall  we  go  on  to  sacrifice  our  sons  and  our 
brothers  in  this  cruel  and  wasting  war  ?  Or  shall  we  all  lay  our  souls 
and  our  country  down  at  the  Cross  of  Christ  as  a  freewill  offering  to 
God? 

The  following  pages  are  prepared  and  offered  with  a  view  to  aid  you 
in  this  choice,  and  to  impress  the  solemn  conviction  that  we  can  have 
no  peace  until  we  make  peace  with  God.  May  God  accept  aud  sanctify 
this  feeble  offering  to  help  and  deliver  our  people  from  the  thraldom  of 
sin,  and  to  hasten  the  coming  of  peace.  And  to  His  most  holy  name 
be  all  the  glory  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

JOHN  P.  CAMPBELL. 


THE  WAR;  ITS  CAUSE,  ETC. 

No  question,  at  this  moment,  involves  so  deep  an  interest  in  the 
Southern  heart  as  the  one  we  here  propose  briefly  and  solemnly 
to  consider. 

The  answer  is  not  less,  but  if  possible,  even  more  important. 
The  desire  for  the  maintenance  of  peace,  which  we  sought  without 
war,  by  honorable  negotiation  and  earnest  entreaty,  was  scorned 
by  the  North.  We  thought  that  a  peaceful  separation  would  be 
infinitely  better,  both  for  them  and  ourselves,  than  the  bitter 
criminations  and  recriminations,  which  grew,  and  would  necessarily 
continue  to  grow,  out  of  the  antagonisms  of  our  social,  commercial 
and  political  interests. 

The  North  seemed  to  think  differently,  and  boasted  that  they 
had  the  right  and  the  power  to  make  the  South  think  and  act  with 
them. 

They  stopped  not  to  ask  whether  they  had  a  right  to  invade 
sovereign  States,  whether  they  had  a  right  to  proscribe  and  coerce 
a  free  people  in  the  enjoyment  of  constitutionaf  liberty — rights 
guaranteed  to  them  by  solemn  contract  in  the  Federal  Union. 
They  stopped  not  to  ask  whether  their  war  upon  African  slavery 
was  founded  upon  the  laws  enacted  by  the#ir  forefathers,  autho- 
rized by  the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  and  corroborated  by  the  facts 
of  history  and  the  example  of  civilized  nations,  in  the  past  ages  of 
the  world  ;  or  whether  it  was  not  instigated  and  set  forward,  by  a 
wicked  jealousy  of  the  growing  wealth,  prosperity  and  happiness 
of  the  South.  Inflated  suddenly  with  the  pride  of  party  triumph, 
and  boastful  of  their  vast  superiority  in  men  and  means,  they 
adopted  at  once  the  false  and  despotic  theory,  that  "  might  is 
right."  Hence,  war  was  precipitated  upon  the  South  like  a  clap 
of  thunder  in  a  clear  sky. 

The  South,  without  preparation,  without  a  navy,  with  limited 
means  and  few  men,  compared  with  the  North,  was  driven  to  the 
necessity  of  choosing  subjugation,  degradation  and  slavery  on  the 
one  hand,  or  resistance  on  the  other.  Liberal  as  she  had  been 
for  years,  in  concessions,  to  the  North,  magnanimous  in  her  for- 
bearance under  their  wrongs  and  aggressions,  loyal  as  she  had 
always  been  to  the  Constitution,  and  devdled  as  she  was  to  the 
Union,  she  could  not  now  hesitate  one  moment  as  to  the  choice  of 
the  two  evils.  She  resisted,  and  she  will  resist  to  the  death.  And 
truly  may  we  all  say,  "  If  it  had  not  been  the  Lord,  who  was  on 


8 

our  side,  when  men  rose  up  against  us,  then  they  had  swallowed  us 
up  quickly,  when  their  wrath  was  kindled  against  us.  Then  the 
waters  had  overwhelmed  us,  the  stream  had  gone  over  our  soul. 
Then  the  proud  waters  had  gone  over  our  soul.  Blessed  be  the 
Lord,  who  hath  not  given  us  a  prey  to  their  teeth.  Our  soul  is 
escaped  as  a  bird  out  of  the  snare  of  the  fowlers.  The  snare  is 
broken  and  we  are  escaped.  Our  help  is  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
who  made  heaven  and  earth." — David.  May  the  day  soon  come 
wl  •  n  the  last  part  of  this  Psalm  will  apply  to  us  as  the  first  does 
nov. 

The  first  great  battle  at  Manassas,  astonished  Europe,  con- 
founded the  North,  and  even  intoxicated  the  South,  so  that,  for  a 
time,  it  diverted  our  trust  in  God,  which  was  followed  by  many 
ferious  disasters.  No  philosopher  can  show  a  reason,  aside  from 
the  protecting  Providence  of  God,  why  our  enemy,  with  such  a 
navy,  such  immense  armies  and  with  such  zeal  and  mad  determi- 
nation, could  not  have  crushed  out  the  rebellion  in  one  year  or  even 
in  "ninety  days,"  as  they  said. 

II.   HOW  THE  BELLIGERENTS  STAND  IN  RELATION  TO  GOD  AND 

EACH  OTHER. 

» 

Religiously,  both  parties  stand  guilty  before  God,  and  deserve 
a  thousand  times  more  of  punishment  than  this  war  has  inflicted. 
Jointly,  they  had  received  more  and  greater  blessings  at  the  hands 
of  God,  than  any  nation  has  ever  received  in  the  same  period  of 
time. 

But,  the  religious  defection  of  the  South,  though  great,  is  not  to 
be  compared  with  that  of  the  North.  Abolitionism,  a  most  gross 
and  palpable  heresy,  found  its  origin  and  growth  in  the  hot  bed  of 
Puritanic  bigotry  and  fanaticism  in  New  England. 

Driven  to  the  wall  for  an  argument  to  meet  the  plain  teachings 
of  the  Bible  and  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  on  the 
subject  of  slavery,  they  appealed  to  a  "  higher  law  " — reason  and 
conscience — thus  ignoring  the  divine  authority  of  the  one  and  the 
legal  authority  of  the  other,  they  opened  the  floodgates  of  infidelity 
upon  their  whole  population. 

From  this  Pandora's  box  sprang  up  in  quick  succession  and 
rapid  growth,Mormonism,  Universalism,  FreeLoveism,  Mesmerism, 
Fanny  Wrightism  and  down  right,  open  mouthed,  black-hearted 
infidelity,  spreading  their  blighting  influence  in  most  of  the  cities, 
schools  and  colleges  of  New  England.  "  If  the  foundations  (the 
Bible)  be  destroyed,  what  shall  the  righteous  do  ?"  From  Boston 
— the  boasted  Athens  of  America — came  forth  the  my riad  pages  of 


9 

licentious  and  infidel  literature,  like  the  locusts  of  Egypt,  wither- 
ing and  blackening  all  that  was  green  and  lovely,  with  which  they 
come  in  contact. 

True,  we  have  many  filthy  debauches,  spewing  drunkards,  vile 
blasphemers,  Sabbath  breakers  and  mammon  worshippers  in  the 
South,  but  we  have  yet  to  see  the  first  infidel  or  obscene  book 
issued  from  a  Southern  press. 

Our  people  acknowledge  God's  rightful  authority,  but  they  do 
not  honor  him.  They  profess  to  believe  the  Bible,  but  alas  !  they 
do  not  practice  its  pure  and  excellent  morality.  So  that,  practi- 
cally, we  have  but  little  the  advantage  of  Northern  sinners. 

Politically,  however,  we  claim  to  stand  justified  before  God, 
and  before  oiv  invaders  from  the  North. 

We  cling  as  firmly  to  the  principles  of  the  Constitution  of  our 
forefathers  as  they  did,  and  we  are  resolved  that  "  sink  or  swim, 
survive  or  perish,"  we  will  hold  to  these  principles  to  the  last. 

Had  our  invaders  stood  by  us  in  maintaining  these  principles, 
there  would  have  been  no  split  nor  war  between  us.  We  sought 
no  advantage  of  the  North,  we  asked  no  change,  no  infraction  of 
the  Union  or  the  Constitution.  Appealing  to  the  searcher  of  all 
hearts,  we  asked  not  one  dollar  of  their  money,  not  one  inch  of 
their  soil,  not  one  drop  of  their  blood. 

The  Constitution  was  violated  and  consequently  the  Union  was 
practically  dissolved,  before  we  attempted  to  set  up*  a  provisional 
government  for  the  Confederate  States.  The  declaration  of  war 
by  President  Lincoln  was  unconstitutional,  as  confessed  by  the 
best  statesmen  in  the  North.  Almost  every  step  of  the  Wash- 
ington administration,  in  regard  to  the  war,  has  been  without 
authority  of  law.  Thus  showing,  that  the  violations  of  the  Con- 
stitution before  the  separation  and  before  the  declaration  of  war, 
only  indicated  what  they  had  predetermined  to  accomplish — the 
subjugation  of  the  South,  and  the  abolition  of  African  slavery. 


III.     REFLECTIONS   ON    AFRICAN    SLAVERY. 

This  war  is  destined  to  throw  a  flood  of  light  on  this  subject. 
The  attention  of  the  whole  civilized  world  is  now  being  turned  to 
its  investigation.  The  war  upon  the  South  has  proven  itself  to  be 
a  war  upon  African  slavery.  If  the  South  succeeds  in  maintaining 
her  independence,  as  we  believe  she  will,  it  will  demonstrate  to 
all  the  world,  that  African  slavery  is  authorized  by  the  Word  of 
God — that  it  is  the  normal  and  best  condition  of  that  unhappy 
race,  and  that,  regulated  by  the  laws  of  religion  and  humanity,  as 


10 

it  is  in  the  Confederate  States,  it  confers  the  highest  elevation  of 
physical,  moral  and  religious  character,  that  people  has  enjoyed 
for  three  thousand  years.  In  fact,  no  other  means  has  ever  suc- 
ceeded in  any  permanent  improvement  of  their  character,  condition 
or  happiness.  All  experience,  for  3000  years,  has  proven  that  no 
direct  means,  however  well  applied,  has  met  with  any  permanent 
success  in  elevating  their  character  or  improving  their  happiness. 
Rome  and  Greece,  in  the  palmy  days  of  their  wealth  and  pros- 
perity, prompted  by  the  noble  impulses  of  pity  and  benevolence, 
for  down  trodden  and  enslaved  Africa,  raised  a  commission  of  the 
best  men  of  that  age,  and  sent  them  with  immense  sum*  of  money, 
together  with  all  necessary  appliances  of  civilization^>into  the  heart 
of  Africa,  and  after  years  of  toil  and  expenditure,  so  utterly  failed, 
that  they  abandoned  the  enterprise  as  hopeless.  Slavery,  in  con- 
tact with  civilization  and  Christianity,  is  the  slow,  indirect,  but 
the  only  sure  means  of  enlightening,  christianizing  and  saving  the 
African  race.  We  have,  then,  the  corroborating  facts  of  experi- 
ence, history  and  the  Bible  to  prove  the  justice  and  humanity  of 
African  slavery. 

Cotton  is  opening  the  channels  of  commerce  between  the  nations 
of  the  world,  is  making  the  world  rich,  and  is  therefore  the  great 
agent  of  civilization.  God  has  given  the  negro  a  climate  and  a 
constitution  adapted  to  the  culture  of  cotton ;  has  by  His  Word 
and  Providence  assigned  him  and  his  descendants,  forever,  to  a 
state  of  servitude  to  Shem  and  Japheth  and  their  descendants. 
Pursuant  to  this  decree  of  divine  Providence,  the  descendants  of 
Canaan  are  this  day  in  a  state  of  servitude  to  the  descendants  of 
Japheth  in  the  Confederate  States. 

In  the  culture  of  cotton  they  have  done  more  indirectly,  to 
promote  the  great  interests  of  commerce,  civilization  and  religion, 
than  all  Africa  has  done  in  8000  years.  They  are  at  this  time,  a 
thousand  times  more  elevated,  useful  and  happy,  where  they  are  not 
interrupted  by  the  false  sympathies  of  the  abolition  heresy,  than 
the  ignorant  and  enslaved  negroes  of  their  native  land. 

What  a  sin,  then,  what  a  burning  shame  it  is,  that  abolitionism 
should  seek  to  overthrow  this  great  agency  (the  culture  of  cotton) 
for  the  promotion  of  the  commerce,  manufactures  and  civilization 
of  the  world !  What  a  sin  against  God  and  humanity,  that  it 
should  seek  to  throw  the  negro  off  from  the  bosom  of  the  church, 
and  even  from  the  means  of  civilization,  where,  without  conserva, 
tor,  master  or  guide,  he  must  soon  relapse  into  a  state  of  barbarism 
and  die  in  shame  and  vice !  Look  at  the  fruits  of  this  same  false 
sympathy  in  the  degraded,  vicious  and  starving  condition  of  the 


11 

emancipated  negroes  of  the  West  India  Islands !  Would  not 
England  have  done  a  thousand  times  more  for  her  own  commerce 
and  the  commerce  of  the  world,  by  maintaining  a  well  regulated 
system  of  slavery  in  those  Islands,  at  the  same  time,  promoted  the 
temporal  ami  spiritual  well-being  of  those  negroes,  and  saved  them 
from  the  barbarism  into  which  they  are  now  sinking  so  rapidly  and 
hopelessly?  She  sees  and  confesses  the  fatal  blunder  now,  but 
alas !  too  late  to  apply  an  adequate  remedy.  The  abolition  of 
slavery  in  the  Confederate  States  would  accomplish  one  of  two 
great  evils,  and  perhaps  both  in  part.  First — the  indiscriminate 
slaughter  of  the  negroes  as  a  matter  of  self-defense  on  the  part  of 
the  whites.  Second — the  hopeless  ruin  and  degradation  of  those 
that  might  escape  to  the  North,  or  be  sent  to  separate  colonies 
abroad.  We  might  add  a  third,  but  minor  evil — the  utter  ruin  of 
the  cotton  interests  of  the  South. 

The  Confederate  States  have,  from  the  beginning,  enacted  laws 
providing  for  the  protection,  kind  treatment,  and  religious  instruc- 
tion of  their  negroes.  These  laws  are  wisely  adapted  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  negro,  and  in  strict  conformity  to  the  teachings 
of  Christ  and  His  Apostles,  relative  to  the  duties  of  masters  and 
slaves.  But,  we  are  sorry  to  say,  that  two  circumstances  have 
operated  to  hinder  the  due  and  regular  enforcement  of  these  laws. 
First — the  officious  intermeddling  of  abolitionists  with  our  slaves, 
rendered  the  enforcement  of  the  law  more  difficult,  and  the  duties 
of  masters  more  delicate.  Second — in  some  instances  our  slaves 
have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  bad  masters  ;  men,  having  no  religi- 
ous or  moral  principles,  men,  ignorant  of  the  character  and  capaci- 
ties of  the  negro  ;  men  mean  and  selfish  enough  to  starve  and  work 
their  poor  negroes  to  death,  and  then  steal  the  dime  that  might  lay 
upon  his  closed  eyes  in  his  coffin.  It  is  just  that  we  say  we  have 
but  few  of  this  class,  and  most  of  them  came  from  abolitiondom. 

Let  alone  in  peace,  we  would  soon  be  able  to  correct  most  of 
these  evils.  But  shall  we  abolish  the  relation  of  master  and  slave, 
because  the  duties  of  that  relation  are  violated  by  a  few  unprin- 
cipled men  ?  For  the  same  reason  we  might  abolish  the  marriage 
relation,  the  parental  relation,  or  any  authorized  by  the  law  of 
God. 

Abolition  sympathy  for  the  negro  is  blind,  negative  at  best — 
having  no  definite  object  or  definable  good  in  view.  Southern 
sympathy  is  positive,  having  a  definable  and  real  good  in  veiw. 

But  we  must  hasten  to  the  consideration  of  the  main  question 
of  our  little  volume. 


12 


IV.      THE  ANSWER  TO  THE    QUESTION — "WHEN   SHALL  PEACB  COME  ? 

The  day,  month  or  year,  in  which  peace  shall  come  no  man  can 
tell. 

Sin  is  certainly  the  cause  of  the  war,  and  whether  the  North  or 
the  South  was  tne  chief  instrument  in  bringing  it  upon  us,  we 
dare  not  say,  nor  is  it  important  to  the  great  issue  of  the  struggle 
that  we  should  know.  We  know  and  feel  deeply  that  the  war  is 
upon  us,  that  it  is  God's  minister  of  wrath  to  execute  vengeance 
upon  rhe  wickedness  of  the  two  nations.  Some  will  have  it  that 
God  stirred  up  the  North  to  bring  war  upon  the  South  for  their 
sins.  Others  will  have  it  that  God  stirred  up  the  South  to  separate 
from  the  North,  instigating  the  war,  to  punish  the  North  for  their 
sins.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  our  duty  to  place  ourselves  in  a 
condition  to  obtain  an  honorable  peace.  There  is  an  attitude 
before  God,  in  which,  if  we  place  ourselves,  the  war  will  cease  at 
once.  It  is  our  duty  to  place  ourselves  in  that  attitude  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment. 

Do  you  ask  what  that  attitude  is?  "We  answer,  it  is  one  in 
which  it  may  be  truly  said  of  us  as  a  nation,  that  we  are  an  humble, 
penitent,  trusting,  law-abiding,  God-loving  and  God-serving  people. 
"  God  is  jealous  of  His  name,  and  will  not  give,  nor  allow  us  to 
give,  His  glory  to  another."  We  have  bowed  down  with  blind 
devotion  to  the  idol  mammon  ;  we  have  run  wild  with  mad  worship 
after  our  party  leaders,  and  even  now,  we  trust  and  idolize  our 
military  leaders,  more  than  we  honor  and  trust  in  God.  We  have 
bo  corrupted  the  ballot  box,  and  so  abused  the  elective  franchise, 
that  selfish  and  wicked  men  are  elevated  to  the  holy  places  of 
trust  and  power.  "  When  the  wicked  rule,  the  people  mourn." — 
Solomon. 

The  word  of  God,  the  supreme  authority  of  His  government 
over  the  world,  our  dependence  upon.  Him,  and  our  accountability 
to  Him,  are  freely  and  fully  recognized  by  the  framers  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  Confederate  States,  by  the  laws  of  Congress, 
and  by  the  laws  of  each  sovereign  State,  yet,  by  an  enactment  of 
law  by  these  same  high  authorities,  the  word  of  God  is  ignored, 
the  holy  Sabbath  is  required  to  be  violated  by  all  persons  con- 
nected with  the  mail  service.  God  must  hate  and  punish  a  sin 
bo  gross,  so  full  of  hypocrisy  and  infidelity.  By  this  wicked 
enactment  many  pious  and  competent  men,  from  a  sense  of  moral 
duty,  feel  themselves  cut  off  from  the  mail  service  and  the  post- 
office  department.  Railroad  and  steamboat  companies  and  all  the 
people  follow  the  example  of  the  government,  even  the  churches 


13 

hardly  least  the  example;  hence  we  have  become  a  Sabbath-breaking 
nation.  This  God-defying  wickedness,  opens  the  flood-gates  to  all 
the  vices  and  immoralities  which  are  spreading  the  malaria  of 
moral  death  over  our  whole  nation,  so  that,  we  have  become  a 
pestilent  and  hateful  stench  in  the  nostrils  of  Jehovah. 

Our  high  officials  blaspheme  the  name  of  Alimghty  God  (not 
President  Davis,  thank  God,)  and  their  subordinates,  even  down  to 
the  peasant  and  the  slave,  are  proud  if  they  can  talk  big  and  defy 
God  and  profane  His  holy  name  like  these  great  men.  The  rulers 
of  the  earth  have  set  themselves  and  taken  counsel  together  against 
the  Lord  and  against  His  Anointed,  (Christ,)  saying,  "  let  us  break 
their  bands  usunder  and  cast  away  their  cords  from  us.  He  that  sit- 
teth  in  the  heavens  shall  laugh.  The  Lord  shall  have  them  in  derision. 
Then  stall  lie  speak  unto  them  in  His  wrath  and  vex  them  in  His 
sore  displeasure  ;  thou  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron.  Thou 
shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel.  Be  wise  now,  there- 
fore, 0,  ye  rulers,  be  instructed  ye  judges  of  the  earth.  Kiss  the  Son 
lest  He  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  f  om  the  way,  when  His  wrath  is 
kindled  but  a  little." — Extract  from  the  2d  Psalm. 

"  God  does  not  afflict  the  children  of  men  willingly.  Judgement 
is  His. strange  work" — His  last  work  to  reclaim  and  bring  back 
His  disobedient  children.  For  our  sins  He  has  "  dashed  us  in 
pieces,  (two  governments,)  like  a  potter's  vessel." 

Peace  and  war,  the  rise  and  fall  of  nations,  are  under  the  control 
and  direction  of  the  "  Judge  of  all  the  earth,  who  will  do  right." 

"  At'what  instant  I  shall  speak  concerning  a  nation,  and  con- 
cerning a  kingdom  ;  to  pluck  up,  and  to  pull  down,  and  to  destroy 
it.  If  that  nation  against  whom  I  have  pronounced,  turn  from 
their  evil,  I  will  repent  of  the  evil  that  I  thought  to  do  unto  them." 
"  And  at  what  instant  I  shall  speak  concerning  a  nation,  and  con- 
cerning a  kingdom,  to  build  up  and  to  plant  it,  if  it  do  evil  in  my 
sight,  that  it  obey  not  my  voice,  then  I  will  repent  of  the  good 
wherewith  I  said  I  would  benefit  them." — Jer.  18:7-10. 

The  above  i  ule  is  without  the  slighest  variation  in  the  conduct 
of  the  Divine  Administration  of  the  affairs  of  heaven  and  earth. 
Sometimes,  as  in  the  case  of -the  belligerent  tribes  of  Israel  and 
Benjamin,  both  parties  are  chastised  and  humbled  for  their  sins, 
and  find  mercy  at  the  hand  of  the  Lord.  In  our  case,  if  we  repent 
of  our  sins'— individual  and  national  sins — modify  our  national  and 
State  laws,  so  that  they  will  not  contravene  the  law  of  God — 
provide  that  these  laws  are  impartially  and  strictly  enforced — "  do 
justly,  love  mercy,  and  walk  humbly  before  God,  we  shall  then  prove 
that  our  repentance  is  true,  and  God  will  give  us  peace. 

If  the  North  shall  do  this  before  we  do,  then  God  will  give  them 
peace,  whatever  may  be  the  disadvantage  and  fate  of  the  South. 


14 


God  will  judge  righteously  between  us  and  our  enemies,  and  we 
must  be  willing  to  submit  to  His  righteous  judgment. 


V.   HOW  THEN  SHALL  WE  PLACE  OURSELVES  IN  AN  ATTITUDE  TO 
OBTAIN  PEACE  WITH  GOD  AND  PEACE  WITH  OUR  ENEMIES  ? 

For  if  we  have  peace  with  God,  "  He  will  make  even  our  ene- 
mies to  be  at  peace  with  us." 

At  one  time,  the  nation  of  the  Jews  had  so  sinned  and  departed 
from  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  that  the  Bible  Fays  :  (2d  Chroni- 
cles, 15th  chap.)  "  Now  Israel  for  a  lcfng  season  hath  been  without 
the  true  God,  and  without  a  teaching  priest,  and  without  law; 
And  in  those  times  there  was  no  peace  to  him  that  went  out.  nor  to 
him  that  came  in,  but  great  vexations  were  upon  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  countries.  And  nation  was  destroyed  of  nation,  and  city  of 
city,  for  God  did  vex  them  with  all  adversity."'  A  great  army  of 
"  one  thousand  thousand  and  three  hundred  mighty  chariots  of 
war,"  came  out  against  them.  The  army  of  Israel  was  about  half 
the  number  of  their  enemies,  and  they  had  no  chariots  of  war. 

What  did  they  do  under  these  trying  circumstances  ?  They  went 
out  against  them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  (the  only  way  to  succeed 
in  battle,)  and  set  the  battle  in  array.  "  And  Asa  cried  unto  the 
Lord  his  God,  and  said,  Lord  it  is  nothing  with  thee  to  help,  whether 
with  many,  or  with  them  that  have  no  power.  Help  us  0  Lord, 
our  God,  for  we  rest  on  thee,  and  in  thy  name  do  we  go  against 
this  multitude.  0,  Lord  thou  art  our  God,  let  not  man  prevail 
against  thee.  So  the  Lord  smote  the  Ethiopians  before  Asa  and 
before  Judah,  and  the  Ethiopians  fled  ;  they  were  overthrown  that 
they  could  not  recover  themselves,  for  they  were  destroyed  before 
the  Lord  and  bc'fore  His  hosts." 

"  And  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  Azariah,  the  son  of  Oded. 
And  he  went  out  to  meet  Asa,  as  he  returned  in  triumph  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  he  said  unto  him,  hear  ye  me,  Asa,  and  all  Judah  and 
Benjamin,  the  Lord  is  with  you,  while  ye  be  with  ilim,  and  if  ye 
seek  Him,  He  wMl  be  found  of  you,  but  if  ye  forsake  Him,  lie  will 
forsake  you.  Be  ye  strong  therefore,  and  let  not  your  hands  be 
weak,  for  your  work  shall  be  rewarded.  And  when  Asa  heard 
these  words  he  took  courage  and  put  away  the  abominations  of  all 
the  land  of  Judah  and  Benjamin,  and  out  of  the  cities  which  he  had 
taken  from  Mount  Ephraim,  and  renewed  the  altar  of  the  Lord 
that  was  before  the  porch  of  the  Lord.  And  he  gathered  all  Judah 
and  Benjamin,  and  the  strangers  with  them  out  of  Ephraim  and 
Manasseh,  and  out  of  Simeon,  for  they  fell,  or  came  to  him  out  of 
Israel  in  abundance,  when  they  saw  that  the  Lord  his  God  was 


15 

with  him.  So  they  gathered  themselves  together  at  Jerusalem  in 
the  third  month  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Asa.  And 
they  made  a*  great  offering  in  that  day,  seven  hundred  oxen  and 
seven  thousand  sheep.  And  they  entered  into  a  covenant  to  seek 
the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers  with  all  their  heart  and  with  all 
their  soul."  stipulating,  "  that  whosoever  would  not  seek  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel  should  be  put  to  death,  whether  small  or  great, 
whether  man  or  woman.  And  they  swore  unto  the  Lor<J  with  a 
loud  voice,  and  with  shoutings,  and  with  trumpets,  and  with  cornets 
And  all  Judah  rejoiced  at  the  oath,  for  they  had  sworn  with  all 
their  heart,  and  sought  Him  with  their  whole  desire  ;  and  He  was 
found  of  them,  and  the  Lord  gave  them  rest  round  about." — See- 
the 14th  and  15th  chapters  of  2d  Chronicles. 

Any  attempt  to  paraphrase  or  to  embellish  the  above  record, 
given  by  the  pen  of  inspiration,  would  be  like  an  effort  to  enrich 
the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  or  to  add  beauty  to  the  tints  of  the  rose. 
We  can  only  pray,  with  a  full  and  earnest  heart,  that  our  people — 
officials,  soldiers  and  citizens — maybe  able,  by  the  grace  of  God,  to 
see  its  application  and  follow  such  a  noble  example.  Then  "God^ 
would  give  us  rest  round  about."  Then  individual  and  national 
blessing  and  prosperity  would  make  our  hearts  glad  and  our  voices 
shout  for  joy.  Then  "would  all  ntions  say,  the  Lord  hath  done 
great  things  for  them.  Then  would  we  respond,  "'  the  Lord  has 
done  great" things,  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad." 

We  beg  your  attention  to  the  following  prophesy,  recorded  in 
the  2d  chapter  of  Joel,  in  which  is  found  a  graphic  description  of 
the  "northern  army,"  its  invasion  of  the  South,  the  destruction  and 
dismay  attending  its  progress,  and  of  its  being  "  removed  far  away 
from  you  "  by  tlie  hand  of  the  Almighty.  Surely  if  the  troubles  and 
triumphs  of  the  Confederate  States  have  any  place  in  ancient 
prophesy,  it  is  found  h  this  chapter  :  "  Blow  ye  the  trumpet  in 
Zion,  and  sound  an  alarm  in  my  holy  mountain  ;  let  all  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  land  tremble,  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh,  for  it  is 
nigh  at  hand.  A  day  of  darkness  and  gloominess,  a  day  of  darkness 
and  thick  clouds,  as  the  morning  spread  upon  the  mountains.  A 
great  people  and  strong,  [the  North,]  there  hath  not  been  ever  the 
like,  neither  shall  be  any  more  after  it,  even  to  the  years  of  many 
generations,  [glad  of  that.]  A  fire  devoureth  before  them  and 
behind  them  aflame  burnetii,  [literally  true];  the  laud  before  them 
[the  South]  is  as  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  behind  them  a  desolate 
wilderness .  yea,  nothing  shall  escape  them.  The  appearance  of 
them  is  as  the  appearance  of  horses,  and  as  horsemen  so  shall 
they  run,  [they  have  run.]  Like  the  noise  of  chariots  on  the  tops 
of  the  mountains  shall  they  leap,  like  the  noise  of  a  flame  of  fire  that 
devoureth  stubble,  as  a  strong  people  set  in  battle-array.    Before- 


16 

their  face  the  people  [of  the  South]  shall  be  much  pained,  all  faces 
shall  gather  blackness.  They  shall  run  to  and  fro  in  Yhe  city,  they 
shall  run  upon  the  wall,  they  shall  climb  up  upon  the  houses,  they 
shall  enter  in  at  the  windows  like  a  thief,  [how  true.]  The  earth 
[the  civil  government]  shall  quake  before  them,  the  heavens 
[churches]  shall  tremble,  the  sun  and  the  moon  shall  be  dark,  [to 
the  sorrow  stricken,]  and  the  stars  [the  brightest  jewels  of  the  land] 
shall  withdraw  their  shinning.  And  the  Lord  shall  utter  His 
voice  before  His  army,  [the  Lincoln  army,]  for  His  camp  is  very 
great,  for  he  is  strong  that  executeth  His  word,  [this  great  and 
wicked  camp  or  army  is  the  Lord's,  for  the  wicked  is  God's  sword,] 
*'  for  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  great  and  very  terrible,  and  who  can 
abide  it." 

At  the  12th  verse  the  subject  is  changed,  and  another  people  i8 
addressed.     Let  all  the  South  hear  what  God  would  have  them  do 
whilst  invaded  by  the  "  northern  army  :"    "  Therefore  also  now, 
saith  the  Lord,  turn  ye  even  to  me  with  all  your  heart,  and  with 
fasting,  and  with  weeping,  and  with  mourning  :  And  rend  your 
heart  and  not  your  garments,  and  turn  unto  the  Lord  your  God,  for 
He  is  gracious  and  merciful,  slow  to  anger,  and  of  great  kindness, 
and  repenteth  Him  of  the  evil.     Blow  the  trumoet  in  Zion,  [the 
church,]  sanctify  a  fast,  call  a  solemn  assembly  ;  gather  the  people, 
sanctify  the  congregation,  assemble  the  elders,  gather  the  children 
and  those  that  suck  the  breast,  let  the  bridegroom  come  forth  out 
of  his  chamber  and  the  bride  out  of  her  closet,  let  the  priests,  the 
ministers  of  the  Lord,  weep  between  the  porch  and  the  altar,  and 
let  them  say,  spare  thy  people,  0,  Lord,  and  give  not  thine  heritage 
to  reproach,  that  the  heathen  [those  acting  as  such]   should  rule 
over  them.     Wherefore  shou  d  they  say  among  the  people,  whore 
is  their  God  ?    Then  will  the  Lord  be  jealous  for  his  land  [the 
South]  and  pity  his  people.     Yea,  the  Lord  will  answer  and  say 
unto  his  people,  behold,  I  will  send  you  corn  and  wine  and  oil,  and 
ye  shall  be  satisfied  therewith,  and  I  will  no  more  make  you  a 
reproach  among  the  people,  but  1  will  remove  far  off  from  you  the 
northern  army,  and  will  drive  them  into  a  land  barren  and  desolate, 
with  his  face  toward  the  east  sea  [the  Atlantic]  and  his  hinder  part 
toward  the  utmost  sea,  [the  Pacific,]  and  his  stink  shall  come  up 
and  his  ill-savour  shall  co    e  up  [before  all  nations  |  because  he  hath 
done  great  things."     "  Fear  not,  0  land,  [invaded,]  be  glad  and 
rejoice,  for  the  Lord  will  do  great  things.     Be  glad  then,  ye  chil- 
dren of  Zion,  and  rejoice  in  the  Lord  your  God,  for  He  hath  given 
you  the  former  rain  moderately,  and  lie  will  cause  to  rome  down 
for  you  the  raki,  the  former  rain  and  the  latter  rain  in  t'.e  first 
month.     And  the  floors  shall  be  full  of  wheat,  and  the  fats  shall 
overflow  with  wine  and  oil.     And  I  will  restore  to  you  the  years 


17 

tbat  the  locust  has  eaten,  the  canker  worm,  and  the  caterpillar 
and  the  palmer  worm — my  great  army — which  I  sent  among  you." 

Hereit  is  shown  again  that  the  great  Northern  army,  represented 
by  destroying  insects,  is  God's  army  sent  amonsrus,  and  that,  upon 
our  returning'  to  the  Lord  and  seeking  ITim  with  the  whole  heart, 
this  destroying  Northern  army  shall  Vie  removed  tar  away  and  the 
desolations  which  they  have  made  shall  be  restored.  "  And  ye  shall 
eat  in  plenty  and  be  satisfied,  and  praise  the  name  of  the  Lord  your 
God,  that  he  hath  dealt  wondrously  with  you.  and  my  people  shall 
never  be  ashamed.  And  ye  shall  Know  thai  I  am  in  the  midst  of 
Israel.  ( the  church]  and  that  I  am  the  Lord  your  God  and  none  else." 

Not  only  .-hall  our  land  have  peace  and  rejoice  in  the  blessingSiQf 
temporal  prosperity,  but  behold  what  comes  "afterward  :"  "And 
it  shall  come  to  pass  afterward  that  I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  all 
flesh  :  and  your  sous  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy,  your  old 
men  shall  dream  dreams,  your  young  men  shall  .-  ie  risions,  and  also 
upou  your  servants  [slaves]  and  upon  your  handmaids  in  those  dav 
will  I  pour  out  my  spirit." 

All  these  blessings  will  follow  immediately  after  the  nation  u 
covenant  to  return  unto  the  Lord  God  of  our  lathers.  The  gref.t 
religious  reform  proposed  and  clearly  set  forth  by  the  word  ol  Goo, 
involves  no  disparagement  or  saci  ince,  tli.ii  is  not  strictly  worthy 
of  a  noble  and  free  people.  Nay,  it  contemplates  our  highest 
physical,  intellectual  and  moral  improvement  and  happiness,  We 
hasten  then  to  our  application  and  appeal. 

VI.  MOTIVES  To  QBGE  THE  PEOPLE  OF  THE  CONFEDERATE  STATES 
TO  A  PROtiPT  AND  EARLY  C0MPL1  VN<  EWITH  THE.dONDITIONS  OF 
PEACE  AS  THEY  ARE  SET  FORTH   IN'  THE  BIBLE. 

Can  we  ignobly  consent  to  bow ' down  our  necks  to  receive  the 
galling  yoke  of  a  tyrant  i'or.  whose  cupidity  is  only  measured  by 
his  hatred  of  us?  Can  we  afford  to  email  upon  our  children  fo  • 
generations  to  come  a  degradation  so  humHiating,  as  to  become 
"  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  ?"  Can  we  submit  to  sul  - 
jugation,  the  confiscation  of  our  "  goodly  heritage,  "  our  homes,  our 
lands,  our  servants — all  that  is  worth  living  for?  Can  we  stand 
and  sec  our  President,  his  cabinet,  our  statesmen  and  our  noble 
leaders  hung  as  traitors  or  banished  forever  from  the  land  of  their 
fathers?  Shall  we  be  forced  into  a  union  with  those  who  have 
hated,  and  murdered,  and  robbed  us  ?  A  union  with  those  for  whose 
political  heresies,  religious  fanaticism,  bigoted  intolerance,  ay,  with 
whose  social,  political  and  moral  character  we  can  neither  feel  nor 
enjoy  any  affinity  whatever  ? 

Brother  soldiers,  citizens  and  gallant  leaders — hear  it  from  an 


18 

old  man  whose  heart  is  with  you,  and  who  has  labored  and  suffered 
with  you  from  tin1  beginning  of  our  troubles,  hear  it  in  filename  of 
the  Lord — all  thesehorrors  and  indignities  must  come  upon  us.  unless 
God,  in  mercy,  deliver  us  from  the  power  of  our  enemies.  He 
always  has  and  always  will  deliver  those  and  only  those  who  honor 
and  trust  Him. 

Shall  it  be  all  in  vain  thai  in  the  Ias1  two  yeare  one  hundred 
thousand  of  our  noble  sons  and  brothers  have  sacrificed  their 
precious  lives  upon  the  altar  of  their  country  ?  Is  it  in  vain  that 
Rachel  weeps  for  her  children  and  will  not  be  comforted  because 
they  are  nut  ?  [s  it  all  in  vain  that  our  officers  and  soldiers  have 
suffered  such  privations,  sickness,  wounds,  hunger,  imprisonment, 
insult,  nakedness  and  cold  ?  Can  it  be  possible,  my  dear  country- 
men, that  <>ur  people  shall  pass  through  such  a  bftter  baptism  of 
suffering- and  Mood,  and  not  come  out  of  if,  a  purified,  homogeneous, 
free  and  happy  nation?  To  these  soul  stirring  questions  you 
answer  no,  never !  neve^ff  never  !  1 J 

We  will  Mow  the  trumpet  in  /ion  ;  we  will  sanctify  a  fast  ;  we 
will  call  a  solemn  assembly  ;  Ave  will  confess  our  sins  and  throw 
ourselves  upon  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  God  of  our  fathers.  Yes. 
we  will  enter  into  a  solemn  covenant  before  the  Lord  with  all  our 
cburches— Catholic  and  Protestanl  and  with  all  our  civil  and 
military  officers,  with  all  our  soldiers  and  citizens,  with  their  chil- 
dren and  servants,  men  and  women,  small  and  great  ;  and  we  will 
say,  0  LordjGod  of  ourfathers,  our  sins  have  risen  like  a  dark  and 
thick  cloud  to  separate  between  thee  and  our  souls  so  rliat  we  are 
not  able  able  to  look  up.  0,  have  mercy  upon  us  miserable  sinners. 
\Ve  do,  each  and  all  of  us,  solemnly  covenant  with  each  other, 
before  the  heart  searching  and  rein  trying  God,  that  we  will 
heartily  repent  of  and  forsake  our  manifold  and  grievous  sins  and 
transgressions,  and  that  we  will  seek  thee  with  all  our  heart  and 
all  our  soul,  and  that  we  will  "  serve  thee  in  newness  of  life.''  0, 
that  there  were  such  a  heart  within  US. 

Why  is  God  holding  back  our  enemies  from  over-running  us  with 
their  overwhelming  forces  ?  Is  it  not  to  give  us  time  to  repent,  to 
humble  ourselves  before  Him,  and  to  place  ourselves  in  an  attitude 
of  loyalty  and  submission;  in  which  lie  may  give  us  peace?  Why 
has  our  beloved  President  called  us  together  so  often  for  humilia- 
tion and  prayer  before  God  ?  We  know  him  as  a  faithful  servant 
of  God,  too'  well,  to  believe  that  he  did  it  as  a  mere  formality. 
Each  c:ill  of  his  upon  our  people  has  had  more  and  more  religious 
and  general  attention.  Let  these  calls  of  the  President  be  still 
more  frequent  and  earnest,  and  let  the  response  of  the  people  of  all 
the  States  be  more  general,  earnest  and  prayerful,  until  we  all 
come  in  the  unity  of  the  faith  and  the  bond  of  peace. 


19 

We  have  many  pious  generals  leading'  our  armies  in  the  field, 
many  praying  officers  an<l  soldiers,  many  good  men  at  home  and 
very  many  faithful  praying  women,  These  are  hopeful  indications 
that  God  will  not  give  us  up  to  the  sinkings  of  our  enemies.  But, 
says  some  one,  we  have  some  officers  and  many  heartless  and 
wicked  extortioners,  who  are  making  money  out  of  the  war.  They 
do  not  wish  it  to  stop,  therefore  Vy  will  not  join  us  in  a  covenant 
to  seek  and  serve  God,   thai    I  ■  us  peace.     Let  such 

wicked  men  turn  to  2d  Ghron.,  i   mdread, 

"  That  whosoever  would  m  to  seeh  the  Lord 

God  of  Israel  should  be  put  to  men  will  Jind  it  to  bo 

"  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  l3of  the  living  God;"     "  They 

shall  be  suddenly  destroyed  and  th;  remedy."     God  will 

take  their  wealth  and  their    i  r,l  i  in  a  moment. 

The  motives  we  have  pre  ditions  of  peace,  the 

salvation  of  our  country,  address  themselves  to  us  inn  very  feel  inl- 
and solemn  manner.  But  there  is  -iill  a  higher  motive— the  glory 
of  God,  the  honor  and  integrity  of  liis  moral  government.  His 
divine  authority  cannot  be  disregarded  witlnmpunity.  Loyalty  to 
Him  and  His  service  is  the  highest  duly  and  the  highest  happiness 
of  man.  Fidelity  to  him  invohvs  the  higheal  perfection  of  nunm 
character  and  human  governments.  By  all  these  high  and  holy 
motives,  by  all  the  great  interests  of  temporal  and  eternal  salva- 
tion, by  the  degradation  and  slavery  threatened  us  on  the  one  hand 
in  this  life,  and  the  eternal  interests  we  sacrifice  in  the  life  to  come, 
we  most  solemnly,  in  tin1  name  of  the  God  of  our  lathers,  appeal  to 
all  our  civil  and  military  Ieadejs,  to  all  subordinate  officer*,  to  all 
our  soldiers  and  citizens,  to  all  heads  of  families,  their  children* 
and  servants,  great  and  small,  to  take  the  warnings  given  from  the 
mouth  of  Jehovah,  lest  we  perish. 

We  appeal  to  all  ministers  and  churches — Catholic  and  Protes- 
tant— and  to  all  christian  people  of  the  Confederate  States  to 
call  solemn  assemblies  daily,  yes  daily,  to  read  the  word  of  God  ;  to 
exhort  and  incite  one  another  to  humility,  repentance  and  holy 
trust  in  God,  that  he  wrOuld.save  us  from  our  sins  and  deliver  us 
from  the  power  of  our  enemies.  He  strong,  fear  not,  for  the  Lord 
your  God  "will  help  3011  right  early."  Behold,  "  the  Lord  will 
rend  the  heavens  and  come  down  in  the  midst  of  His  people,  and 
the  mountains  [of  trouble]  shall  flow  down  at  11  is  presence,  as 
when  the  melting  tire  burnetii."  "  In  the  day  thou  seekestme  with 
the  whole  heart,  I  will  be  found  of  thee."  "  And  it  shall  come  to 
pass  that  while  they  are  yet  speaking  [in  prayer]  I  will  answer." 
So  quicklydoes  God  answer  the  prayer  of  faith.  Infinitely  more 
ready  to  give  than  we  can  be  to  receive.  0,  how  great  the  joy  in 
heaven  to  see  our  whole  nation  in  humiliation  and  prayer  before 


20 

God,  sending  up  Bweet  anthems  of  adoring  love  and  praise  to 
Him  "  who  doeth  all  things  well.''  Let  no  one,  great  or  small,  fail 
to  take  a  part  in  this  great  national  celebration  and  holy  consecra- 
tion to  God.  We  need  no  intervention  bul  God's  intervention. 
He  can  divide  the  counsels  of  our  enemies  and  set  them  against 
th<  mselves  ;  or,  I  fe  can  put  a  panic  into  their  hearts  and  drive  them 
like  chaff  before  the  storm  ;  or,  He  can  give  them  repentance  for 
their  manifold  sins  against  Grod.  He  can  incline  them  to  counsels 
of  peace  and  show  them  die  great  injustice  and  wrong  they  have 
committed  against  us.  He  can  reduce  them  to  such  straits  in  their 
financial  and- political  matters,  as  thai  they  will  be  forced  to  with- 
draw their  troops  from  our  soil,  and  acknowledge  our  indepen- 
dence, lie  ran  •"  make  their  way  dark  and  slippery  before,  them.'' 
and  cause  them  to  "fall  into  the  snare  they  have  set  for  us."  But 
if  we  continue  incorrigible,  He  can  add  to  the  blockade  of  our 
ports  and  rivers  the  more  fearful  blockade  of  the  clouds  of  heaven, 
withhold  the  latter  rains  and  cut  off  ©ur  bread.  Hear  it,  my 
countrymen,  God  will  humble  us  at  whatever  sacrifice  on  our  part. 


VII.   TO    OUR    MINISTERS    AND    CHURCHES. 

Beloved  brethren,  you  are  set  as  watchmen  in  Zion,  "  you  watch 
for  souls  for  which  you  must  account  to  God."  •'  When  I  bring  the 
sword  upon  a  land,  if  the  people  of  the  land  take  a  man  of  their 
coasts  and  set  him  for  their  watchman,  if  when  he  sceth  the  sword 
come  upon  the  land  he  blow  the  trumpet&nd  warn  the  people,  then 
whosoever  heareth  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  and  taketh  not  warn- 
ing, if  the  sword  come  and  take  him  away,  his  blood  shall  be  upon 
his  own  head.  He  that  heard  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  and  took  not 
warning  his  blood  shall  be  upon  him  ;  but  he  that  taketh  warning 
shall  deliver  his  soul.  But  if  the  watchman  sec  the  sword  come  and 
blow  not  the  trumpet,  and  the  people  be  not  warned,  if  the  sword 
come  and  take  away  any  person  from  among  them,  he  is  taken  away 
in  his  iniquity,  but  his  blood  will  I  require  at  the  watchman's  hands. 
So  then,  0,  son  of  man,  I  have  set  thee  as  a  watchman  unto  the 
house  of  Israel,  therefore,  thou  shaft  hear  the  word  at  my  mouth 
and  warn  them  from  me." — Ez.  Chap.  83. 

God  has  sent  the  sword  upon  our  land  ;  you  are  watchmen  ;  you 
see  the  flower  of  our  land  falling  under  the  sword  ;  the  words  of 
warning  are  put  into  your  mouth  and  you  are  required  to  sound 
the  trumpet  of  alarm.  A  sense  of  our  feaiful  responsibility 
prompts  the  writer  to  send  forth  this  humble  tract  as  a  messenger 
of  warning. 

0,  let  us  take  our  place  in  the  dust  and  weep  between  the  porch 


21 

and  the  altar.  Let  us  stand  in  the  gates,  in  every  highway  and  at 
every  altar  and  "  cry  aloud  and  spare  not,  lift  up  the  voice  like  a 
trumpet  and  show  our  people  their  transgressions  and  the  house  of 
Jacob  [the churches]  their  sins.''  Let  us  free  ourselves  from  the 
blood  of  our  people.  Let  us  so  warn  them  thai  we  shall  both  sate 
them  and  ourselves.  This  war  has  already  obliterated  political 
party  lines.  God  grant  that  it  may  obliterate  parly  spirit  ami 
denominational  pride  in  our  churches.  Does  it  not  become  us  to 
inquire  whether  our  church  jealousies,  conti  and  divisions 

have  not  contributed  much  to  bring  our  present  troubles  upon  us? 
The  church  is  the  light  of  the  w<  rid.  If  the  light  in  her  be  dark- 
ness, how  great  is  thai  darkness!  -  If  the  blind  lead  the  blind 
both  shall  fall  into  the  ditch."  The  church  has  led  the  stale  in  the 
matter  of  division  and  both  lane  fallen  into  the  ditch.  Now.  let 
the  church  lead  the  slat!'  in  pray  it.  hum  ilia  I  ion  and  repentance  before 
God, that"  He  ma^  remove  far  au  ay  the  Northern  army.'"  that  all  the 
churches  m:i\  be  restored  to  a  state  of  unity,  love  and  peace. 
"  Then  shall  her  light  go  forth  as  brightness,  and  her  salvation  as 
a  lamp  that  burnetii."  "The  watchmen  in  Zion  shall  see  eye  bo 
eye,  and  all  the  people  shall  lift  up  the  voice  together  and  sing," — 
together — not  in  separate,  jealous  rival  parties  hui  as  one  flock, 
one  fold,  one  body,  one  family,  one  fraternal,  loving  brotherhood, 
of  whom  it  shall  be  said,  "behold  how  these  christians  love  one 
another!-'  Then  shall  times  of  sweet  refreshing  come  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  the  church  •shall  arise  and  shine,  her 
light  having- come  and  the  glory  of  God  having  risen  upon  her." 
Then  shall  the  thrice  repeated  prayer  of  our  blessed  Saviour  for 
the  '•  perfect  oneness"  of  all  true  believers  find  on  answer  and 
fulfilment  that  shall  constrain  ''the  world  to  believe,"  ami  "to 
know  the  truth  of  His  doctrine." — See  17th  chap,  of  .John.  "  I 
pray  for  them  that  they  may  be  one  as  we  are.  Neither  pray  I  for 
these  alone,  but  for  them  also  that  shall  believe  on  me  through  their 
word,  that  they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou  father  art  in  Me,  and  I  in 
Thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us" ;  that  the  world  may  believe 
that  Thou  has  sent  me, and  the  glory  which  thou  has  given  Me  1  have 
given  them,  that  they  may  be  one  even  as  we  are  one,  1  in  them  and 
Thou  in  me.  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one,  and  that  the 
world  may  know  that  Thou  hast  sent  Me." 

Dear  brethren,  all  true  christians  "  are  baptized  by  one  spirit  into 
one  body,"  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles,  bond  or  free,  and  have  all 
been  made  to  drink  into  one  spirit.  Can  we  not,  therefore,  make 
all  our  distinctive  names,  our  creeds  of  faith  and  our  forms  of  dis- 
cipline and  our  mode?  o£ worship  subordinate-to  the  vital  and  fun- 
damental doctrine  of  christian  unity  ?     We  can  by  the  grace  of  God. 

Paul  exhorts  us  that  we  shall  "  mark  those  who  cause  divisions 


and  offences  in  the  church,  contrary  to  the  doctrine  which  ye  have 
learned  of  Christ,  and  avoid  them." — Rom.  16:17.     Division  in  the 

church  is  the  chief  offence  and  stumbling  block  to  the  world,  the 
bane  of  all  true  religion  and  an  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God. 
[t  makes  the  church  weak  and  sickly  and  the  devil  bold  and  defiant. 
"United  «ve  stand,  divided  we  fall."  It  is  suggested  by  many 
excellent  minister-  of  Christ  and  laymen  in  the  different  churches 
that  a  convention  of  ministers  and  laymen  from  the  different 
churches  in  the  Confederate  State-  be  called  to  meet  at  Mont- 
gomery, Ala...  a!  the  earliesl  day  practicable,  not  to  discuss  the 
points  of  difference,  bn1  to  seek  the  points  Of  agreement  and  har- 
mony, with  a  view  to  see  how  many  and  how  vital  the  points  of 
agreement  arc  compared  with  the  few  and  very  unimportant  points 
about  which  they  differ.  A  second  object  of  the  convention 
might  be  to  adopt  a  few  of  those  great  doctrines  of  our  holy 
religion  in  which  all  true  christians  do  agree.  A  third  object  might 
be  to  make  a  solemn  declaration  to  the  world  that  the  true  church 
of  Jesus  Christ  is  one  and  indivisible,  wherever  scattered  over  the 
face  of  the  earth.  A  fourth  objeel  might  be  to  appoint  a  series  of 
union  meetings  for  reading  the  scriptures,  singing  and  prayer,  to 
continue  several  days  in  all  the  churches  of  the  Confederate  States 
of  America,  with  a  view  to  obtain  a  fuller  measure  of  that  spiritual 
baptism,  by  which  alone  wt  can  realize  that ;'  we  are  all  one  body 
in  Christ.''  A  fifth  object  mighl  me  to  recQmmennd  an  exchange  of 
delegates  in  the  higher  or  yearly  ineetings  of  eclesiastical  bodies  to 
promote  the  objects  of  a  more  p'erfect*  unity  of  the  church — the 
body  of  Christ.  A  sixth  objeel  might  be  to  memorialize  our  national 
and  State  legislatures  to  so  modify  and  change  our  national  and 
State  laws  as  that  they  will  not  contravene  the  law  of  Cod. 

My  brethren  and  countrymen,  we  must  set  our  hearts  right  with 
God  and  right  with  one  another,  then  Cod  will  set  us  right  with 
our  enemies  and  with  all  the  world,  and  "  lie  will  give  us  rest 
round  about.'"     So  prays  one  of  the  least  of  all  your  brothers. 


A  PRAYER  FOR  OUR  COUNTRY  AND  FOR  OUR  ARMY. 

Almighty  and  Most  Merciful  Father,  the  Author  of  all  good  gifts  and 
graces,  the  Great  Fountain  of  being  am!  of  blesi  We  desire  to  come  to 

Thy  mercy  seat,  confessing  our  greaf  and  manifold  sins  and  transgressions 
before  Thee,  and'suppl  mating  Thy  forgiving  mercyiri  the  name  of  our  Lord 
and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ.  We  have  nothing  to  bring  but  the  burden  of  our 
sin  ami  guilt.  We  have  nothing  to  plead  as  the  ground  of  our  pardon  and 
acceptance  before  Thee,  hut  the  ireeioue  mediation  and  atonement  of  Thy 
well-beloved  Sun.  We  rejoice  to  know  thai  Thou  art  ever  well  pleased  with 
Him  ;  that  Thou  always  hearesl  rlim,  and  that  for  His  Bake  Thou  canst  be 
just  and  the  Justifier  of  him  that  believeth,  however  unworthy.  We  do 
believe  in  Him.  for  there  is  salvation  in  rlim  and  no  other,  and  in  His  holy 
name  we  ask  Thy  blessing  upon  our  fathers,  husbands.  Bona  and  brothers 
who  have  gone  to  meel  and  drive  back  the  invaders  of  our  country  and  our 
homes.  We  pray,  0,  Heavenly  Father,  that  Thou  wilt  shield  their  heads 
in  the  day  of  battle  :  that  Thou  wilt  save  and  defend  them  from  the  diseases 
and  vices  incident  to  camp  life:  that  they  having  an  intelligent,  deep  and 
abiding  conviction  of  their  cause,  may  go  forth  to  battle  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  of  Hosts,  the  God  of  Armies.  <  I,  "teach  their  hands  to  war."  give 
them  skill  in  the  use  of  the  arms  and  munitions  of  war.  nerve  their  arms 
with  the  might  of  Jehovah,  in  whose  name  they  go,  ami  give  to  them  those 
greatqualitiesof  firmness,  wisdom  and  indomitable coarage,  which  shall  strike 
terror  into  the  ranks  ot  their  enemies  and  drive  them  back  the  way  whence 
they  came.  0,  Thou  Great  Searcher  of  all 'hearts.  Thou  k  no  west  we  love 
peace,  and  that  we  Bought  to  maintain  and  preserve  it  by  every  means  in  our 
power,  consistent  with  duty  and  honor.  Hut  Thou  hast  a  controversy  with 
us  for  sins,  which  we  would  humbly  and  penitently  confess  before  Thee,  and 
for  these  most  greivous  and  manifold  sins.  Thou  bast  sent  this  terrible 
calamity  upon  us.  Humbled  and  chastened  by  it.  we  would  pray  our 
Heavenly  Father  to  "remove  far  away  from  us  the  northern  army,"  and. 
give  us  peace.  Above  all  we  do  pray  that  thou  wilt  give  us,  as  a  people,  a 
heart  to  appreciate  peace  as  the  grft  of  <!od. 

And  do  Thou  so  enlighten  the  understandings  ami  dispose  the  hearts  of 
our  civil  and  military  rulers,  that  they  may  all  seek  to  honor  and  please 
Thee.  May  our  national  and  State  legislatures  seek  at  the  earliest  moment 
to  remove  from  their  statute  books  every  enactment  inimical  to  the  law  of 
God.  May  our  officers  and  ministers  of  justice  so  administer  the  law  as 
that  the  rights  ot  person  ami  property  shall  be  protected,  the  guilty  punish ed_ 
and  order  and  harmony  restored  to  society.  And  may  all  our  people,  in  the 
army  and  at  home,  have  grace  in  th?ir  hearts  to  live  a  quiet  am'  peaceable 
lite  in  all  godliness  and  honesty.  <  >,  may  they  all  come  out  of  this  bitter 
baptism  ot  suffering  and  blood,  a  pure,  united  and  happy  people.  Father 
of  all  mercies  it  is  thy  glory  to  forgive.  <f  sanctify  to  us  these  heavy 
calamities,  so  that  in  the  end  we  may  all  thank  God  for  them,  ami  for  the 
grace  that  enabled  us  to  improve  them. 

Giver  of  all  good  jrifts,  0,  give  us  grace,  that  with  true  hearts  we  may 
enter  into  covenant  with  God  and  with  each  other,  as  families,  communities, 
States  and  as  a  Nation,  that  we  will  put  away  all  our  abominable  iniquities 
and  sinful  practices,  and  will  seek  and  serve  the  Lord,  God  of  our  Fathers 
with  all  our  heart.     Then  witli  glad  hearts  we  will  praise  Thee;  then  shall 


/   •  24 

our  children  grow  up  in  the  nurture  and  knowledge  of  the  true  God  ;  then 
shall  our  schools  and  colleges  become  the  nur3enes  ol  virtue,  science  and 
true  religion:  then  shall  our  churches  be  tilled  with  convert?  to  the  faith  of 
■si  cd-  our  ministers  .-hall  shout  from  the  walls  of  Zion,  afid  all  our 
people  sine  for  joy  thai  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent  reigneth.  0,  then  we 
shall  see  and  say,  "  lie  doeth  all  things  well." 

Almighty  God,  this  great  work  is  tjjol  too  much  foi  Thee  to  do.  0,  then, 
for  thine  own  glory,  for  the  joy  ol  heaven  and  earth,  for  the  salvation  Of  our 
nation,  display  thy  soul-saving,  sin-destroying  power.  <).  rend  the  heavens 
and  come  down,  that  these  mountains  of  trouble  and  sin  may  How  down  at 
thy   ;  as   when   the  melting  tire  burneth.     If  Thou  bul  touch  the 

heart  ol  Stone,  it  shall  melt  into  penitence,  love  and  praise.  W  Thou  shed 
hut  one  ray  of  light  into  the  dark  sou!  of  the  profane  swearer,  he  will  pray. 
Even  the  chiel  ol'  sinners  would  rejoice  to  behold  the  wonders  of  thy  love 
and  power. 

[ndulgent  Father,  (iod  of  Lo?e.4et  Thy  sinning,  hut  repentant,  children 
plead  with  Thee,  for  Thou  art  our  only  help  and  hope.  Our  enemies  are 
too  many  and  too  mighty  for  us,  hut  if  Thou -wilt  go  forth  with  our  h 
"one  shall  chase  a  thousand  and  two  shall  put  ten  thousand  Jo  flight." 
Thou  canst  6ave  by  many  or  by  few.  Weknow^  0,  (iod,  that  Thou  wilt  judge 
righteously  between  us  ami  our  enemies.  <  >,  give  us  hearts  tosubtnitto  Thy 
right)  nent. 

We  pray,  0,  God,  for  our  enemies,  that  they  he  able  to  see  wherein  they 
they  have  sinned  against  Thee,  and  repent  and  find  mercy.  Let  them  see 
the  evil  of  those  political  and  religious  heresies  which  have  incited  them  to 
bring  on  us  this  terrible  war.  0,  incline  them  to  counsels  of  peace,  and  may 
they  return  to  their  own  hon.es  hy  the  way  which  they  came.  <  >,  God,  Thou 
canst  touch  their  hearts  and  ihey.wiil  relent.  lint,  0,  our  God,  if  they  will 
still  persist  in  their  mad  scheme.-  to  coerce  and  subjugate  us,  do  Thou  trus- 
trate  their  wicked  schemed,  dispense,  as  Thou  hast  done,  their  naval  fleets 
upon  our  waters,  drive  their  panic  stricken  thousands  that  have  come  upon 
our  soil,  divide  their  wicked  counsels  that  they  may  prey  upon  one  another. 
Through  !<ar  an  1  a  sense  of  guilt,  thou  canst  make  their  hearts  as  weak  as 
water.  Thou  canst  "  make  their  way  dark  and  Blippery  before  them.'  I  '. 
God,  our  country,  our  prayer,  our  hearts  are  all  before  Thee,  do  with  us, 
our  country  and  our  enemies,  as  shall  be  most  lor  thy  glory  and  our  good. 

And  now,  holy  Father,  we  cast  this  bumble  publication  upon  the  troubled 
waters.  May  its  plain  and  truthful  suggestions  find  a,  generous  response 
from  the  heart.- ol  soldiers  and  citizens.  .May  it  do  something  to  save  the 
effusion  of  bipod  and  much  to  hasten  the  coming  of  peace.  And  to  Thy 
most  holy  name  he  all  theglory,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.      Amen. 

JOHN  P.  CAMPBELL. 


